CHESTER, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A “disgruntled” employee at a Chester, Delaware County business shot five of his co-workers Wednesday morning, killing two of them, officials said. The man is in police custody.
Dozens of police officers rushed to the family-owned business Delaware County Linen at Fourth and Hayes streets for a report of a mass shooting around 8:30 a.m.
Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said an employee showed up to work armed and shot five of his co-workers inside and outside of the business.
Francisco Kenty lives next to the linen business. In a matter of minutes, he said his usually peaceful neighborhood turned into chaos.
“People screaming, a person was arguing. I came outside and then everybody was just running. I ran inside to tell my grandmother to get down and stay down and stay away from the window,” he recalled.
Two people are dead. Three others were taken to the hospital. One is in critical condition. The victims have not been identified.
Chester Police Commissioner Steven Gretsky said officers from the Trainer Police Department stopped the suspect as he drove away from the scene.
“I have to commend my police department,” Gretsky added. “One of the individuals who was shot, my officers assisted one of the employees and got him to the hospital.”
The suspect is now in custody.
Stollsteimer called the workplace shooting a tragedy that “plays out too often across the United States of America.”
“We have to get stronger with our gun legislation,” echoed Chester Mayor Stefan Roots. “We can’t have guns in the hands of the wrong people.”